Word Helpers

I just found this great idea from Sarah Cooley's First Grader...at Last! blog. I used DJ Inkers clipart and created a set of signs for my classroom. I would love to share, so email me, if you would like me to send you a copy.

These are instructions and a picture straight from Sarah's blog.

Chunky Monkey and his Word Helping Friends!



This past week my class has been very busy brainstorming the qualities of good readers, discussing where readers read, learning how to find books in our classroom library, practicing how to read independently, and most of all, we have been enjoying good books together! Soon they will learn the strategies that good readers use when they come to unknown words--with a little help from my word helping animal friends! The posters (pictured at the top of this post) hang on the wall above my small group table, and my students are reminded daily of the strategies they should try when they get stuck on a word! After a few weeks, all I have to say is, "Skippy Kangaroo" or one of the names of the other strategies, and the kids know what to do. These are the descriptions for our word helping animals:

*Chunky Monkey: Look for smaller chunks you know inside the word.
*Stretchy Snake: Stretch out the sounds in the word, and blend them together.
*Eagle Eyes: Check the picture!
*Skippy Kangaroo: Skip over the word and read the rest of the sentence, then try it again.
*Flippy the Dolphin: "Flip" the vowel sound. If you tried the short vowel sound, try the word with the long vowel sound. Which one makes sense?
*Lips the Fish: Get your mouth ready. Make the beginning sound of the word.